Student artwork highlights the relationship Philadelphians have with their waterways and our shared responsibility for keeping them clean.

The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE) announced 12 student winners for their art that display the connection to water in their daily lives.

Over 650 students from 26 Philadelphia schools in the Greater Philadelphia area contributed their pieces to the challenge this year. Winners are awarded prizes such as gift cards and 20th-anniversary posters. From a sea otter giving a thumbs-up to displaying a piece of plastic’s journey to the ocean, these Generation Z members are showing the importance of the rivers, oceans, and wildlife.

The Philadelphia Student Art Contest has challenged students to depict water since 1999. The Art Contest has received more than 20,000 submissions over 20 years.

Here are the winners and selected work.

Kindergarten through Second Grade:

• 1st place: Nadia Pacheco from St. Monica School
• 2nd place: Deja Marsett from Benjamin B. Comegys Elementary School
• 3rd place: Natali Mitic from Fox Chase Elementary School

Third Grade through Fifth Grade:

• 1st place: Vincent Vega from Mayfair Elementary
• 2nd place: Avani Kadariya from Fox Chase Elementary School
• 3rd place: DarlatiaNieves from Mayfair Elementary School

Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade:

• 1st place: Joanna Wei from J.R. Masterman School
• 2nd place: Rishab Das from J.R. Masterman School
• 3rd place: Simon Berman from J.R. Masterman School

Nine through 12th Grade:

• 1st place: Uzoma Nwoga from Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush School
• 2nd place: Carly Marquess from Archbishop Ryan High School
• 3rd place: MartaPetryshchak from Northeast High School

Want your students to learn about water at home?

The Delaware Estuary has many activity booklets, coloring pages and crossword puzzles to learn about the local waterways. Download the Philly-based Yo! What do you know about water? activities here.

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